Can Bryan Edwards live up to his many comparisons

Comparisons are a part of the game. There is always somebody that reminds you of another great person. In certain sports like basketball everyone has been chasing the ghost of Michael Jordan for years. However, in Raiders camp the one player that seemingly can’t shake comparisons off is wide receiver Brian Edwards.

Edwards' two biggest supporters are the guys you want behind you the most. The head coach and the quarterback. Jon Gruden called his shot the moment he drafted Edwards, comparing him to hall of famer Terrell Owens. Carr makes comparisons to his former college teammate Devante Adams.

You know what, it reminds me a lot of Davante when he first came into college. He was redshirting, but I wanted to throw him every pass,” Carr said earlier in training camp. “Even though we were getting ready for games, I’d still throw his rep. Just building that time on task. So, it was the same thing with Bryan when he wasn’t starting, I was still trying to throw his rep every day in practice. Now, I’m seeing that translation ... He works extremely hard. I’m very proud of him.”

When you watch Edwards play there's a lot to love about him; he's a big physical specimen that makes contested catches in traffic. In college some of the one handed catches he made were mind boggling. Speaking of his college days at South Carolina, Edwards became the Gamecock's all-time leading receiver with 234 catches for 3,045 yards.

Edwards, like all of his 2020 draft class, didn't have the usual rookie experience. In the midst of the pandemic, Edwards had no rookie minicamp, OTAs or preseason games. Edwards' was impressive in camp, but in the game he struggled adjusting to game speed and with injuries.

"I just had such high expectations for myself," said Edwards "I put that pressure on myself and I wanted to be a guy in this league and for this team. When I got hurt and I went down, it was real tough on me just mentally. Trying to force myself a little early to get back – it just didn't go the way I wanted to go."

Luckily, for Edwards and most people 2020 is in the rare view mirror and there is a lot to look forward to. As far as Edwards is concerned he just wants to be the best version of himself and continue to build on his solid performances in training camp. "I'm just trying to come in here and work every day, no matter what's said about me," said Edwards. "Just come in here and be the same guy, make as many plays as I can for this team."